Is it possible to develop a set of meta-thinking skills that help us execute or create Less Wrong meta-thinking skills?

Let's speculate about how Eliezer developed his meta-thinking skills. I imagine that he was working toward FAI (he had something to protect) and frequently ran into problems (and could recognize them as problems). Unable to make progress he might ask "where have I seen a similar problem?". Over time he could bunch together similar confusing problems. Eventually he might abstract their common essence (by asking "what makes them similar?"), and perhaps find a solution to them in the form of a meta-thinking technique.

This suggests a procedure for creating meta-thinking skills:

• Work towards your goals and learn to identify confusing problems.
• Don't rush to "solve" them. Cluster them by identifying which ones are similar.
• Discern the pattern of a cluster, and devise a technique to solve it and similar problems in the future.